Cabeza de Vaca (1991)

A handful of survivors from a disastrous 1528 Spanish expedition to Florida journey across the coast until they reach Mexico.

Director:

Nicolás Echevarría

Writers:

Nicolás Echevarría, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca (novel),

Stars:

Juan Diego, Daniel Giménez Cacho, Roberto Sosa

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Juan Diego	...	Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Daniel Giménez Cacho	...	Dorantes
Roberto Sosa	...	Cascabel / Araino
Carlos Castañón	...	Castillo
Gerardo Villarreal	...	Estebanico
Roberto Cobo	...	Lozoya (as Roberto 'Calambres' Cobo)
José Flores	...	Malacosa
Eli 'Chupadera' Machuca	...	Sorcerer
Farnesio de Bernal	...	Fray Suárez
Josefina Echánove	...	Anciana Avavar
Max Kerlow	...	Man in Armor
Óscar Yoldi	...	Esquivel
Ramón Barragán	...	Pánfilo de Narváez
Julio Solórzano Foppa	...	Alcaraz
Javier Escobar Villarreal	...	Young Iguase Indian

Storyline

An international award winning saga of old Mexico. In 1528, a Spanish expedition founders off the coast of Florida with 600 lives lost. One survivor, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, roams across the American continent searching for his Spanish comrades. Instead, he discovers the Iguase, an ancient Indian tribe. Over the next eight years, Cabeza de Vaca learns their mystical and mysterious culture, becoming a healer and a leader. But soon this New World collides with the Old World as Spanish conquistadors seek to enslave the Indians, and Cabeza de Vaca must confront his own people and his past.

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Plot Keywords:

spanish | expedition | survivor | florida | mexico | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France]

Country:

Mexico Spain USA UK

Language:

Spanish Latin

Release Date:

17 April 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Abenteuer des Cabeza de Vaca

Filming Locations:

Coahuíla, Mexico

Box Office

Gross:

$789,127 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Channel Four Films, Cooperativa José Revueltas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The huge figure of a naked man wielding a club which is created by the Indian sorcerer is an accurate representation of the ancient Celtic chalk carving known as the Cerne Abbas Giant, which is 60 metres in height and is located on a hillside overlooking the village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England.

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Connections

Featured in Conquistadors (2000)

User Reviews

Dances with Wolves goes Mexican

Utterly fascinating movie that doesn't go for the Hollywood ending (ala "Dances with Wolves"). Purportedly from the diaries of Cabeza de Vaca, a treasurer for Charles the Fifth of Spain, the film goes from the brutal realism of war to a mystical tour of Indian life to the sad reality of Spanish conquest. This film is a must-see.